International field for First Hungarian Indoor Grand Prix
5 February 1999 – Spectators at today’s 1st Hungarian indoor Grand Prix can look forward to a full bill of national and international champions.
In the men’s pole vault, Olympic champion Jean Galfione will compete against Kazakstan’s Igor Potapovitch, Tim Lobinger from Germany and the winner of last year’s World Cup competition in Johannesburg, Russia’s Maxim Tarasov. Britain’s Colin Jackson looks a firm favourite in the men’s 60m hurdles, where he will race against Anier Garcia from Cuba and Duane Ross of the USA.
Local favourite Miklos Gyulai (son of IAAF General Secretary István Gyulai) will be attempting a double: he will face former world record holder Andre Cason (USA) in the 60m and line up against Anios Markoulides (the meeting record holder from Greece) and Holger Blume (twin brother of Marc Blume –GER) in the 200m.
Kenya’s Daniel Komen is the obvious favourite in the men’s 2000m, with the only probable challenge coming from countryman Laban Rotich who currently holds the meeting record in the event. Komen may well try to better Gebrselassie’s mark for this distance of 4:52.86.
In the women’s events, Susanthika Jayasinghe starts favourite in the first heat of the 60m with, Irina Privalova a probable victor in the 2nd heat. Jayasinghe will also double in the 200m, with another strong performance possible in that event from Jamaica’s Juliet Campbell..
The women’s 60m hurdles are likely to be dominated by last year’s revelation from Nigeria, Glory Alozie, though she is likely to be challenged by the vastly more experienced Brigitta Bukovec from Slovenia. Surprisingly, the organisers are announcing both 50m and 60m hurdles so the two will clash twice within the space of an hour during the meeting.
